The Lapland War

The film is set in Lapland in autumn 1944, during the conflict between Finland and Germany at the end of the Second World War. Young soldier Heikki fights on the Karelian Isthmus alongside his friend Pauli. Arvo, recently released from prison, joins their company; his worldview challenges the others’ ideas about war and duty. The armistice raises hopes of returning home, but it soon becomes clear that Finland must turn against its former German allies in Lapland. Meanwhile, Saara, who works as an interpreter for the Germans in Rovaniemi, must choose her future: stay in Finland or flee to Germany with her lover, Major Duisberg. The Lapland War is a story grounded in its characters’ human experiences, about people caught up in historic upheaval. Amid the horrors of war, they search for meaning, humanity and forgiveness—and ask how compassion can be found in a merciless environment. Running time: 2h 38min. Age rating: K16.